Condensable carton



May 3, 1966 L. CRADDOCK ETAL CONDENSABLE CARTON 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I

Filed July 6, 1964 FIG. 3

I INVENTORS DONALD L. CRADDOCK DENNIS M. GORSKI m i Z ZWQ Rh 5 V 3 z 5 w w w: E a n m w: 2 E 1? m T: 5 a a: x a Q fi m w n y 3, 1966 D. L. CRADDOCK ETAL 3,

CONDENSABLE CARTON 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 6,. 1964 INVENTORS DONALD L. CRADDOCK DENNIS M GORSKI WMM/ ATTORNEY y 1966 D. 1.. CRADDOCK ETAL 3,249,283

CONDENSABLE CARTON Filed July 6, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 8

INVENTORS DONALD L. CRADDOCK DENNIS M. GORSKI WMZ w ATTOR EYS United States Patent 3,249,283 CONDENSABLE CARTON Donald L. Craddock, Dunwoody, and Dennis M. Gorski, Atlanta, Ga., assignors to Riegel Paper Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 6, 1964, Ser. No. 380,444 2 Claims. (Cl. 229-17) The present invention relates to folding cartons, and more particularly, to tuck-end cartons and the like of the type used to package elongate, rigid articles, such as cigars, spaghetti, pencils and the like.

In the packaging of plural articles in a package, which articles are consumable periodically, initial access and removal of an article is usually relatively difiicult due to the mutual wedging action of the other articles and due to the fact that manual gripping of the article is impossible without mutilation or distortion of the package or the articles, themselves.

As an important aspect of the present invention, a new and improved closed-end carton has been provided having generally rigid, tubular upper and lower portions joined by an intermediate, flexible bellows portion. In accordance with the invention, upon opening one end of the carton and moving the upper and lower portions toward one another to effectively condense the carton, the contents of the package will be exposed for facile removal. Thereafter, relaxation of the applied condensing forces will accommodate the return or expansion of the carton to its normal size.

More specifically, the new and improved carton includes upper and lower glue flaps, upper and lower front, rear, and side walls and conventional tuck-end closures. In accordance with the principles of the invention, the upper and lower walls are connected by flexible, collapsible bellows, while the glue flaps are maintained completely separated. This specific advantageous structure accommodates the formation of a condensa-ble carton which is ideally suited for providing ready access to packaged elongate articles and the like.

For a more complete understanding of the invention and its attendant advantages, reference should be made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank for a preferred embodiment of a condensable carton embodying the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a new and improved condensable carton in its normal condition with parts broken away to show internal details;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the new carton, in its normal condition, taken along line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the new carton in its condensed condition;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the new carton taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a blank for an alternate embodiment of the carton of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the alternate embodiment of the new and improved carton in its condensed condition;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the alternate embodiment of the carton taken along line 88 of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a front elevational view of the alternate embodiment of the carton of the invention in its normal condition.

Referring to FIGS. 1-5, a preferred embodiment 10 of the new and improved condensable carton, which may be generally rectangular in shape, includes a first upper side wall 11, an upper front wall 12, a second upper side wall 13, an upper rear wall 14, and an upper glue flap 15, consecutively articulated by vertical score lines 16, 17, 18, 19,

3,249,283 Patented May 3, 1966 respectively. Similar but shorter, corresponding lower wall portions are provided and include a first lower side wall 21, a lower front wall 22, a second lower side wall 23, a lower rear wall 24, and a lower glue flap 25, which are consecutively articulated by vertical score lines 26, 27, 28, 29, respectivley.

In accordance with the invention, a rigid upper portion 3 and a rigid lower portion 9 of the carton 10 are movable toward one another to condense the carton and to that end, an intermediate, carton encircling bellows structure 7 is provided. More specifically, the upper and lower side walls are connected along lines of weakness 36, 31, respectively, to side bellows .panels 3 2, 33 which are hinged and collapsible along a score line 34. Similarly, the upper and lower, front and rear walls are connected along lines of weakness 35, 36 to front and rear main bellows panels 37, 38 which are hinged and collapsible along a line of weakness 39 comprised of spaced out scores. As shown in FIG. 1, the main bellows panels 37, 38 are of substantially equal length and are separated from the side bellows :panels by vertical cuts 40.

Conventional tuck-end closures are hinged to the edges of the upper and lower rear walls and include top and bottom walls 50, 51 having articulated closing flaps 52, 53. Further, if desired or found necessary, foldable dust flaps may be hinged to the upper edges of the side walls 11, 13 to cooperate with the flaps 52, 53. It is contemplated that in certain applications well known alternative end closures such as sealed end, reverse tuck, or like structures may be used to close one or both ends of the carton.

As shown, the upper edge of the upper front wall is slightly relieve-d to provide a notch 54 which accommodates access tothe closing flap 52 to facilitate its untucking in the opening of the completed package. Visual display of the packaged contents may be had by the inclusion of an appropriate window 55 in the front wall of the carton.

The blank for the new and improved oar-ton is formed into a tube by gluing, or otherwise suitably securing, the upper and lower glue flaps 15, 25 to the upper and lower first side walls 11, 21, as shown in FIG. 2. Thereafter, the tube may the squared, filled with the articles to be packaged, a plurality of cigars C, for example, and conventionally end-closed by tucking in the flaps 52, 53. All of the carton erecting steps may be efficiently accomplished with conventional and readily available machinery.

An alternative bellows structure 7a is shown in FIGS. 6-9, and comprises main front trapezoidal bellows panels 70, 71 hingedly connected along their shonteir sides and articulated to the upper and lower, front and rear walls along lines of weakness 73, 74, respectively. For the sake of brevity and complete understanding, all elements common to the alternate embodiment shown in FIGS. 6-9 and the preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-6 are identified by common reference numerals. In the alternate embodiment, the side panels 32, 33 of the preferred embodiment are completely eliminated; however, the remainder of the carton structure is retained, as shown clearly in FIGS. 6-9.

In certain applications, such as the alternate embodiment of FIGS. 6-9, a liner or inner carrier tray may be provided for use with the condensable canton of the invention. Such a tray may take the U-shaped form illustrated in FIGS. 7-9 and include side panels 61, 62 articulated to a bottom panel 63. As shown, the side panels 61, 62 of the pray bridge the gap between the upper and lower side walls and tend to keep the upper and lower rigid tubular portions 8, 9 in alignment by preventing pivotal movement about the score lines at which the bellows panels are hinged to the body walls. Additionally, the tray prevents the accidental escape of a packaged article through the gap created by the tapers of the trapezoidal panels and the eliminated side bellows panels.

In its contemplated packaging applications, the carton of the invention and it's contents may be overwrapped with cellophane or the like, typically the case with cigars, 101 when comestibles such as macaroni products are packaged, cellophane or a similar transparent, relatively flexible plastic material may be adhered to internal portions of the carton to seal the window and the cuts or openings in the bellows structure.

It will be appreciated that, in accordance with the invention, ready access to the packaged contents may be had by merely opening the top panel and tuck flap and moving the bottom portion of the container toward the top portion while the top portion is appropriately, firmly grasped. This movement, of course, will force the packaged merchandise, itself, outwardly of the upper car- 1 ton portion where it may be readily removed, as shown clearly in FIGS. 4 and 7. Moreover, the facile removal of the contents may be accomplished without tearing apart or otherwise mutilating the canton and without damaging the contents through unnecessary manipulation to free a desired elongate article. Furthermore, it should be understood that the condensed carton may be readily returned or expanded to its original or normal shape and reclosed to preserve the uncons-umed contents.

It is to be understood that the specific condensable cartons herein illustrated and described are intended to be representative only, as certain changes may be made therein without departing from the clear teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following appended claims in determining the full scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a package including a plurality of closely packed elongated articles and a condensable' paperboard wrapper therefor, an improved carton structure including (a) .a first readily grippable body portion having a plurality of walls and a first independent glue flap definitive of a predetermined cross section,

(b) a second readily grippable body portion having a plurality of walls and a second independent glue flap definitive of said predetermined cross section,

(c) a bellows structure including articulated upper and lower bellows panels of substantially equal lengths connecting said first and second grippable body portions,

(d) the combined length of said body portions and said bellows structure being substantially equal to the length of said wedged together, elongated articles,

(e) said bellows structure being collapsible outwardly away from said upper and lower body portions in a manner non-interfering with the grippability of the same to effectively shorten said combined length,

(f) said be l-lows structure being limited to a single thickness of paperboard throughout and being readily collapsible to effectively shorten said combined length.

(g) said bellows structure being readily reversible to a non-collapsed condition.

2. A package in accordance with claim 1, in which (a) said predetermined cross section is rectangular having one pair of walls substantially wider than the other pair of walls,

(b) said independent glue flaps are articulated to said wider walls and glued to said other walls.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,407,526 2/1922 Glover 206-4526 2,300,703 11/1942 Ray 22917 2,377,471 6/ 1945 Williamson 229-17 2,377,472 6/ 1945 Glover 22917 2,446,308 8/ 1948 Smith 229-17 X FOREIGN PATENTS 675,859 12/1963 Canada. 631,054 6/1936 Germany.

GEORGE O. RALSTON, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A PACKAGE INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF CLOSELY PACKED ELONGATED ARTICLES AND A CONDENSABLE PAPERBOARD WRAPPER THEREFOR, AN IMPROVED CARTON STRUCTURE INCLUDING (A) A FIRST READILY GRIPPABLE BODY PORTION HAVING A PLURALITY OF WALLS AND A FIRST INDEPENDENT GLUE FLAP DEFINITIVE OF A PREDETERMINED CROSS SECTION, (B) A SECOND READILY GRIPPABLE BODY PORTION HAVING A PLURALITY OF WALLS AND A SECOND INDEPENDENT GLUE FLAP DEFINITIVE OF SAID PREDETERMINED CROSS SECTION, (C) A BELLOWS STRUCTURE INCLUDING ARTICULATED UPPER AND LOWER BELLOWS PANELS OF SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL LENGTHS CONNECTING SAID FIRST AND SECOND GRIPPABLE BODY PORTIONS, (D) THE COMBINED LENGTH OF SAID BODY PORTIONS AND SAID BELLOWS STRUCTURE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE LENGTH OF SAID WEDGED TOGETHER, ELONGATED OUTWARD(E) SAID BELLOWS STRUCTURE BEING COLLAPSIBLE OUTWARDLY AWAY FROM SAID UPPER AND LOWER BODY PORTIONS IN A MANNER NON-INTERFERRING WITH THE GRIPPABILITY OF THE SAME TO EFFECTIVELY SHORTEN SAID COMBINED LENGTH, (F) SAID BELLOWS STRUCTURE BEING LIMITED TO A SINGLE THICKNESS OF PAPERBOARD THROUGHOUT AND BEING READILY COLLAPSIBLE TO EFFECTIVELY SHORTEN SAID COMBINED LENGTH. (G) SAID BELLOWS STRUCTURE BEING READILY REVERSIBLE TO A NON-COLLAPSED CONDITION. 